Top tips to better sleep

One in three people get less than five hours of sleep a night, according to new research.

But Dr John Shneerson, director of the Sleep Centre, Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, says just being aware of some simple tricks can help sleep sufferers achieve a good night's rest.

"Sticking to regular bedtimes, helping the body to unwind and avoiding certain foods and drinks in the evening can induce drowsiness and enhance sleep," he says.

Here, we present our guide to better sleep...

One: Take a hot bath

Taking a hot bath before bed can help induce sleep, says Paul Martin, author of a new book called Counting Sheep.

This is because your body temperature has a strong influence on how fast you fall asleep. A night's sleep is normally proceeded by a slight drop in body temperature and scientists have established that this drop in temperature tells your body to go to sleep.

The theory behind taking a hot bath is to raise your body temperature artificially before allowing it to drop again as it adjusts to the cooler environment of your room. The trick, says Martin, is to take a bath one to two hours before bedtime and keep your bath temperature warm, rather than hot.

"A hot bath will keep your body temperature raised, making you hot and uncomfortable. A warm bath will raise your temperature before allowing your body to cool down to the temperature comfortable for sleep," he says.

Two: Stick to the same bedtime

Sleep experts believe going to bed and waking up at the same times on a regular basis is vital for healthy sleep. This is because humans have an inbuilt body clock called the circadian rhythm. Controlled by hypothalamus at the base of the brain, it governs the body's daily alternation between sleep and wakefulness.

"Constantly changing our sleep patterns can bring on 'mini jet lags' where our body enters a slightly different time zone, which in turn puts it out of sync."

"This means we tend to 'surface sleep' never establishing a deep level of sleep - the most refreshing type of sleep - which can start to affect our mental performance and judgement the next day," he says.

Three: Treat yourself to a hot, milky drink

It may sound like an old wives' tale but taking a hot milky drink can encourage drowsiness because milk contains sleep-enhancing properties.

This is thanks to its calcium content, which sleep experts claim can help you relax. It is also rich in tryptophan, which the body converts into serotonin - a natural hormone in the body that can make you sleepy.

This compares to coffee - which is twice as stimulating as tea due to its high caffeine content. Sleep experts recommend drinking coffee no later than within two to three hours of going to bed, so that your body has a chance to process the caffeine.

Suzannah Olivier, author of '500 of the Most Important Stress-busting Tips You'll Ever Need', suggests opting for skimmed milk - rather than whole milk - as it's less fattening but still has a high calcium content.

High fat milk can also put a greater burden

on our digestive system and liver, which stimulates digestive activity, keeping us awake at night.

Four: Avoid drinking too much alcohol

Although a couple of glasses of alcohol may make you go to sleep faster because it works on the receptors of the brain that induces sleep, any more than that can lead to broken sleep.

This is because alcohol disturbs chemicals in the brain that help with deeper patterns of sleep.

Brain waves increase from small undulations in Stage One to deep slow waves in Stage Four - the deepest level of sleep that makes us refreshed the next day. But as alcohol starts to wear off during the night, we experience more Stage Five of sleep - known as Rapid Eye Movement (REM). During this period, there is a high level of brain activity, sleep experts say.

Although this stage is associated with dreaming, it is a lighter type of sleep which is not as refreshing as Stage Four - and can affect our mental performance and mood during the next day.

Five: Buy a new bed

If your bed is more than 10-years-old, consider replacing it. Its structure will have deteriorated by up to 75 per cent, causing sleep disruption and potential damage to the spine.

Research shows buying a new bed is more effective than sleeping pills and can improve a night's sleep by 42 minutes.

When we sleep, each person loses half a pint of moisture a night. Sleep experts suggest opting for a mattress placed on a slatted base. This allows greater circulation of air to reach the mattress, which in turn, can help to reduce sweating during the night, aiding uninterrupted sleep.